Letter: Truth seeking

Scottish Parliament committees try to get at the truth of the evidence. So appearing in front of them can be testing for some witnesses. But we have no call to apologise for that, especially when our probing shows up claims which are unsubstantiated (your report, 23 January).

Professors Hughes Hallett and Drew Scott proposed a scheme for fiscal autonomy because it would increase economic growth.

The Scotland Bill Committee challenged them on their claim that each additional percentage point of fiscal devolution would increase economic growth, so that after five years GDP would be up to 1.3 per cent higher.

We couldn't see how it was supported by all the economic evidence they quoted. Last week, they withdrew the claim.

They could hardly do otherwise. The German professor who they cited as the source of their claim doesn't make it.

He gave the committee evidence, too, and said that fiscal decentralisation does not lead to higher economic growth.

The Scottish Government clutched gratefully at the straw that there might be a numerical link between more tax powers for the parliament and higher growth, in order to justify its plans for fiscal autonomy.

It's time for it, too, to give up such a preposterous claim.

As for the professors, their story has always been inconsistent.

They started by calculating the impact of fiscal autonomy on the rate of growth of GDP, but go on to claim that it will only raise the level of GDP since the claimed increase in the growth rate may not be permanent.

They are in an uncomfortable hole and they should stop digging.

David McLetchie MSP

Holyrood

Edinburgh